Anchor
by kitten2010
Summary: Kat Michaels has a secret and Isaac Lahey wants nothing more than to be there for her. She becomes his anchor, the thing that keeps him grounded. But, while he's gaining control, her life is coming undone. The Kanima has torn her life apart and left her searching for answers. Will she discover the secret he's been keeping? Rated T for now
1. Chapter 1

Isaac really didn't have much to look forward to. His home life was a nightmare. Every moment was spent in constant fear. Would his dad be in a good mood or a bad one? If it was a bad one was it slap across the face bad or weekend locked in the freezer bad? When he wasn't at home, he was at school and that wasn't much better. He worked so hard, but his grades were still not good enough. He wasn't very good at lacrosse either. In fact, he doubted his own teammates even knew he was alive.

There was one bright spot and that was on Tuesday evenings, before he had to be at work. It was then that he met his chemistry tutor in the library. Kat Michaels was a senior. She was captivating in her own little ways. Her eyes were never the same shade of brown. Sometimes they were like honey, sometimes like chocolate. He didn't think anybody else noticed that because of her glasses, but he liked it that way. Today, her eyes were so dark they were almost black.

She was letting her dark auburn hair grow out. He liked the longer length and how it fell in waves. Kat was always pushing it out of her face and he had dreams at night about being the one to do that for her. She must have used some sort of citrus shampoo because every time she touched her hair, Isaac could smell lemons. Sometimes he could still smell it even after their tutoring session was over.

Kat was a bit thicker than the other girls at school and he guessed that was why she dressed like she didn't want to be noticed. Isaac thought she was beautiful and he wanted to tell her so. He saw the tongue piercing and the industrial on her right ear that she thought no one knew about. He thought she looked amazing no matter what, but he didn't have the words to make her see that too.

"Isaac?" Her voice cut through his thoughts.

"Sorry, what?" he said sheepishly.

"Do you understand how I balanced the equation?" she asked patiently.

Isaac really didn't want to look stupid in front of her. He stared for a moment at the paper in front of him before admitting defeat. "I really don't. Sorry."

"That's fine. I'll show you one more time, then I want you to try it."

Her pencil scratched across the paper and she explained each step as she went along, but Isaac was distracted again. This time, not so pleasantly. As he was looking at the little anchor tattoed on her wrist, he noticed blue-black splotches on the pale skin; three next to each other like someone had grabbed her. Isaac's throat went dry. He didn't like the thought of anyone hurting her.

"Isaac, what's with you?" Kat said. "You're daydreaming again."

There was silence as he tried to find his voice. "What happened to your arm?" he finally asked.

Her eyes darted down to her wrist, betraying the lie in the next words she spoke. "What are you talking about?" She folded her hands in her lap. "Come on, we need to work on this. You have a test tomorrow."

Hesitantly, he reached out and took her hand, turning her arm to get a better look. She pulled away and he braced himself for her anger. Obviously that had been the wrong choice and she was going to tell him to leave.

"It was…just, you know…" Her voice faltered and she sighed. "My fault."

Isaac moved a bit closer to her. "It's not. If someone hurt you, it's not your fault."

"Feels like it is," she muttered. She wiped the tears off her cheeks before he had the chance. She took a deep breath and laughed softly. "I can't believe I'm even talking to you about this." That hurt a bit and it must have shown on his face because she followed quickly with, "No, it's not you. What I meant is I can't believe I'm talking to _anyone _about it."

He could relate better than she knew. "Kat, if someone's hurting you, you need to get help. You need to tell someone…like the guidance counselor or Sheriff Stilinski."

She smiled and nodded, but he doubted she was going to do what he said. "That's good advice," she said.

He was glad she thought so and the way she looked at him made his heart skip a beat. She stood and her lemon smell overwhelmed his senses as she breezed past him on her way out of the library. Isaac hoped she'd listen to him, but he feared she wouldn't. After all, he couldn't even take his own advice.

As always, reality seeped in, dispelling the warmth of their time together and her citrus scent. He gathered his things and left the library. The bike ride home was a blur. Isaac wondered who had hurt Kat. What had they done to her? Should he have pushed her to tell him who it was? Should he have insisted that she go straight to the police?

His mind was with her as his father grilled him about his tutoring session. When Isaac didn't give a good enough answer, his father punched him. He knew there would be a bruise; he just hoped it wouldn't be too bad. He didn't get a chance to really examine it until much later that evening as he was digging a grave. He really didn't like his job. The cemetery creeped him out.

He heard something, but he wasn't sure if it was all in his head or not. Suddenly, he lurched and before he knew what was happening, he was in the grave he had just been digging, heavy machinery blocking any chance of escape. He was pretty sure he was going to die there. He was just starting to come to terms with that when there was a screech and groan of metal.

Isaac squinted up at his mysterious rescuer. "Need a hand?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Trigger warning for scenes of abuse.**

Isaac really didn't feel all that different the next morning. Maybe it had all been a dream, but the dull ache of the bite on his side reminded him that it had indeed happened. It was disappointing. Somehow, he'd expected something more profound. He still felt like his same old self, especially when talking to the sheriff that morning about the incident the night before.

Lying came easily and he explained away the grave robbery. He was surprised that he could hear his father's heartbeat speed up when the sheriff asked about his eye. He imagined it just meant that his father was concerned about getting in trouble, but part of Isaac wanted to believe his father was scared to lose him. He could dream, right?

School passed by like every other day and it all felt so anti-climactic. Of course, the universe fixed that when he got to chemistry class. Isaac had totally forgotten about the test and all he could do was stare at it. He knew Kat had gone over all of this with him, but when he tried to think back to their tutoring sessions all he could remember was the smell of her shampoo and the color of her eyes.

He gave his best effort on the test, but he was sure he'd failed it miserably. It was no surprise when Mr. Harris informed him that he was now making a D in the class. Isaac stressed for a while over how he was going to explain that to his dad and even worse, Kat. He didn't want to make her feel like she'd been a bad tutor when it was his fault.

Isaac saw Kat in the cafeteria. She was wearing a lacrosse hoodie that was two sizes too big for her. As he got closer he was disappointed that the scent of the hoodie's owner far overwhelmed hers. She smiled kindly at him and his heart sped up. It was the real kind of smile, the kind that shone in her eyes and he was glad because he wasn't sure he'd see it again after what they'd talked about the day before.

"How did you do on your test?" she asked brightly.

Isaac hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should lie but deciding he didn't want to. Not to her. "I failed," he muttered.

Her smile faded away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run off yesterday. I was just—"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted. "It's not your fault. You explained everything really well I just blanked when it came time for the test. It was anxiety or something."

Kat looked a bit relieved. "Well, is there a way to bring up your grade?"

"Yeah, the midterm might help but that's not important. Are you alright?" He really didn't want to talk about grades.

"Oh, I-I'm fine," she said.

"Do you think you could tell me what happened?" he asked.

"Only if you tell me how you got that black eye," she replied.

"You first," he said softly.

Her hair had fallen in her face and without thinking about it Isaac reached up and pushed it back behind her ear. He lingered a bit, feeling how soft the strands were against his fingers. Her pupils dilated and he could hear her heart start to thud faster.

"I should go," she said. She grabbed her bag and rushed away before Isaac could stop her. He sighed and watched her until she was gone from the cafeteria.

:::::::::::

"What was that?" Mike whispered in her ear. Though his voice was soft, she could feel the rage and it made her feel like her entire body had turned to ice.

"He's just a kid I tutor," she said. She was trying to be confident, but she knew her voice was shaking. His arm was around her, they just looked like any other couple, but his fingers dug painfully into her arm as he directed her to the abandoned library.

"He was being pretty friendly back there." Mike pushed her against a bookcase.

"You're hurting me," she said, slightly louder than normal as if volume would make up for the lack of confidence. She doubted Mike cared if he was hurting her or not.

His large hand pressed over her mouth and nose, making it impossible to breathe. He pulled her glasses off and she couldn't see. Kat struggled against him until spots danced in front of her eyes and it felt like her head was going to explode.

"I don't want to catch you talking to him again," Mike said. He finally let her go and dropped her glasses.

She was still gasping for breath as he walked away. She felt on the ground until she found her glasses. She was too stunned to cry. How was this still happening? After he'd left the bruises on her forearm, he'd seemed so sincerely sorry that she was sure he'd realized he couldn't keep doing this.

Kat was afraid for what would happen. She knew she should just tell Isaac she couldn't be his tutor anymore, but the truth was she liked spending time with him and she didn't want to give that up. It already felt like Mike had come between her and all of her friends. It just wasn't fair that he was going to take away Isaac too.

Then again, she knew Mike was justified in a way. She'd really liked the way Isaac had touched her hair and looked in her eyes. In those brief seconds, she felt more beautiful and cherished than she ever had with Mike.

It was hopeless though. They would never be together. Isaac had secrets of his own and she knew that Mike would probably kill her if she tried to break up with him.

::::::::::

Isaac couldn't meet his father's eye as they ate silently. Finally, the inevitable question about grades came up. He started off with good news, thinking that would soften the blow. For a moment, he thought it had worked when his dad said his punishment would be washing the dishes. Of course, he should have known it was too good to be true and he barely had time to dodge the glass hurtling at him. It shattered against the wall and a shard pierced the skin just below his eye.

"You could've blinded me," he accused.

His father started some derogatory retort but stopped in the middle of his sentence. Isaac could feel the cut healing. He knew his father had already seen, but he ran anyway. He never looked back, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't stop running until he figured out what he was going to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**If you could be a doll and leave a review if you like this. Otherwise, I'll think you hate me and then I'll ugly cry and that's just no good for anyone.**

**Again, trigger warning because Mike is a jerk.**

Isaac stumbled as he ran into the abandoned subway station. He hoped Derek was there. He had no idea what to do. He could still hear his father's screams ringing in his ears, but he'd been unable to move. Something had paralyzed him. He laid there for hours, not knowing what had happened and then when he finally was able to move again…there was so much blood. The rain had washed some of it away, but there was still so much.

"Derek! Derek, I think my dad's dead," he called out once he saw the flash of red eyes.

"What did you do?" Derek asked.

"That's the thing," Isaac said. "It wasn't me."

:::::::::::

"Do you know Isaac Lahey?" Kat's father mentioned casually over breakfast.

Kat was exasperated. Isaac just kept popping up in her life. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"His father died last night. Murder. It's shame. You know he coached your brother the year the swim team went to state."

"Is Isaac OK?" Kat asked.

Her dad shrugged. "I don't know." He put on his jacket, his badge glinting as it caught the light.

Once her dad was gone, Kat sighed and started to clean up the dishes from breakfast. She glanced up the stairs, wondering if her mom was going to come down or not. Her dad worked too often to notice, but Kat knew that her mom had stopped taking her medicine and things were only getting worse. She made sure to leave out some easy foods that her mom wouldn't have to cook, just in case she left her room.

Kat hoped to see Isaac in the hallway before classes started. She wanted to be sure he was doing alright because she wasn't sure anyone else was going to. From what she knew, he didn't have any family. She couldn't imagine the pain he was in knowing his dad was dead. She was disappointed when the bell rang and she hadn't seen him, but of course he probably hadn't come to school. She knew she wouldn't if she lost one of her parents.

::::::::::

Isaac moved through school in a dreamlike state. He hadn't really had a chance to grieve his dad. He knew Derek wouldn't be sympathetic at all. Coming to school may have been a mistake, but he really wasn't sure what else to do.

During gym class, the lacrosse team was on the field. It was his first practice since the change and Isaac was kind of excited to see what kind of new skills he had. They lined up and were running drills. Scott was causing the coach all kinds of problems by not staying in the goal and it seemed funny at first until it was Isaac's turn and he realized what Scott was doing.

Isaac ran forward anyway and collided with the other teen. Their eyes both flashed and Isaac knew Scott had figured him out. "Don't tell," Isaac pleaded softly. He saw the police on the field and knew they'd come for him, just like Derek had warned. "Please, don't tell."

:::::::::::

All anyone was talking about in the cafeteria was the fact that Isaac had been arrested. Kat felt so bad for him and she wondered if her dad would pull some strings and let her in to see him. Rumors were flying. Some said Isaac had gone after his dad with an ax; others were saying it was a gun. They were all talking like he was a murderer and Kat knew that just wasn't true.

Mike sat down next to Kat. "So your fuck buddy got arrested," he said coldly.

"Nothing was happening between us," Kat argued weakly.

"I can't believe you were screwing a murderer when you won't even give it up to me," Mike replied as if she hadn't said anything.

"Mike, please stop," Kat begged.

He grabbed her thigh hard under the table. "Why did you cheat on me?"

"I swear I didn't. I wouldn't do that to you." She squirmed a bit under his grip.

He let go, almost as if he was surprised he'd been holding on to her so tightly. She was shaking and sweating, afraid of what he'd do next. She flinched as he reached of her face, but this time it wasn't to hurt her. He pulled her into a brief kiss. "You know I just worry about you," he said softly into her ear. "I knew that Lahey was no good. You just don't understand. I love you so much."

"I love you too," Kat replied automatically because she was scared of what would happen if she didn't say it.

:::::::::::

Isaac hated being in the cell. It reminded him too much of the freezer he'd spent so much time locked in. As night approached, he grew more restless. The full moon already had him on edge and feeling like a rat in a cage was the last thing he needed. Derek had warned him that he might hurt someone or even kill them, but he'd been so sure that he wouldn't do that. Now, his confidence was gone. He could feel rage building up inside him.

He looked out his tiny window, feeling strength building up inside him. Soon, he would rip the door away and then he'd destroy anything with a beating heart. His eyes flickered golden as he thought about how satisfying it would be to feel the blood on his teeth as he ripped someone's throat out.

He felt himself changing for the first time and he was almost drunk with power. It felt amazing. He ripped the door away like it was made of paper. There was a deputy approaching him and he smelled like blood. The man lunged at him with a syringe but Isaac easily crushed the man's wrist, causing him to drop the syringe with a yelp. Isaac slammed his attacker's head against the wall and watched as the man dropped.

Another heartbeat caught his attention. Somewhere deep down, Isaac recognized the second person as Stiles from school. He didn't really want to hurt Stiles, but everything inside of him screamed to claw at the skinny teenager's neck until blood dripped from his hands.

There was a crunch as Derek entered the room and an authoritative growl brought Isaac back to his senses. He backed away, cowering against the wall. He couldn't believe what he'd become. He'd almost attacked Stiles, the class clown. Stiles hadn't done anything to him and yet Isaac had actually liked imagining him dead. This was so much more than he'd anticipated.

::::::::::

Kat dropped the bouquet of roses in the trashcan as soon as she inside the house. She knew it was mean-spirited, but she just didn't care. Mike had taken her on a date and he'd done everything right. He'd brought her flowers and held doors open for her. He'd called her beautiful and said he loved her and he was sorry, but she knew it wasn't going to last. She was so sick of it. It was like she was dealing with a ticking time bomb. She never knew when he would go off or what would cause it.

Her dad wasn't home yet and the food she'd left for her mom was untouched so she could already tell what kind of night it was going to be. She went up to her room, fighting off frustrated tears. "What's wrong with me?" she asked out loud to no one.

She collapsed face down on her bed and laid there for the longest time until finally she got tired of breathing stale air. Kat drew on what felt like her last reserves of strength. She got up and showered; glad that she had her own bathroom connected to her bedroom so she didn't have to risk talking to her parents.

Kat let herself cry once she was in the shower. It was better than keeping it all bottled up. Slowly, she started to feel better. It was as if the nearly scalding hot water washed away some of the tension of the day. As she dried off, she examined her body in the mirror. The bruises on her arms were almost faded, but there was a new one forming on her leg. One day, she told herself. One day she'd find a way to stop this.

Kat put on her favorite nightgown and she wandered to her bedroom. She turned on her radio before she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the window to brush her hair. The repetitive motion and the music soothed her and she knew she'd make it through one more day.

:::::::::::::

Isaac knew it was risky to be sitting on the roof of the garage outside Kat's house. The moon was still full and he was still dangerous. Derek had ordered him to go back to the abandoned subway car and go to sleep, but Isaac had taken a detour. He felt almost like himself again and he was going to do what Derek said, he just wanted to see Kat first.

The light in her room was the only one in the house that was on. He couldn't see her, but he could hear the rushing water of the shower. When she stepped into his sight, his eyes flashed but not from rage. It was desire. She was in her pajamas, brushing her hair and singing along to some song he didn't know.

He wanted to let her know he was there. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful and that he cared. The wolf side of him definitely agreed, but luckily rationality seeped in. Her dad was a deputy sheriff and for all he knew she'd been told that Isaac was a murderer. Kat's opinion was all that mattered to him. Everyone else in town could think he was a murderer and he wouldn't care, but he didn't think he could take it if she thought that too. Especially not tonight, with the full moon.

Isaac stayed outside her window until the light in her room flickered off. He could hear her breathing slow down as she drifted off to sleep. He jumped to the ground and left. Isaac tried not to feel like he was leaving her behind, but honestly he didn't know. He was a fugitive. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to talk to her again. He just hoped that someone else would notice the marks on her arm. He hoped that someone else would protect her. It was killing Isaac that he wouldn't be the one to do it, but everything was different now. He didn't know what the future was going to bring. All he knew was that he was alone now and he hoped that Derek turned out to be someone he could trust.


	4. Chapter 4

**You can tell it's the end of the semester and I have a lot of assignments due because all I want to do is write. I hope you enjoy the fruits of my procrastination. Let me know if you do!**

"Isaac, you're a fugitive now," Derek said in an increasingly frustrated tone. "You can't go home."

"Well, Derek, I have to sleep somewhere," Isaac replied. "Plus, I don't smell so great. I really need a shower and some clean clothes." He wasn't sure why he was pushing his Alpha the way he was. Derek could easily snap his neck. Maybe it was just because he wanted to know his boundaries. After all, he'd spent so long living in fear of his father and he really didn't have any idea what to do now that the fear was gone.

Derek let out an annoyed groan.

"I suppose now isn't the time to mention I haven't eaten all day," Isaac said.

Isaac had found the line. Derek grabbed his collar and roughly pulled him forward. "Figure it out, but if you get arrested again you're on your own."

Derek walked away and it really hit Isaac that he was actually alone. Derek wasn't going to help him. Isaac suddenly felt so young and immature. He had no one he could turn to. No one really cared about him. Except for maybe Kat, but he had no idea if she really felt that way about him or if he just wished she did. Either way, she'd always been nice to him at school and he had no other options. At least, that's what he told himself. Maybe he just really wanted to see her.

::::::::::::

"No, no, no," Kat whispered into the mirror as she lightly touched the bruise on her swollen cheek. She had no idea how she was going to cover it up. She wasn't that good with make-up. She would just have to come up with a good lie.

Suddenly, she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her and she sat down on the floor of her room. Why was she protecting Mike? He'd hurt her. He'd punched her in the face all because she'd gotten a text message from a male classmate she'd been assigned to work on a project with. Kat wasn't going to lie for him anymore. It was going to end.

There was a bang on her bedroom window and Kat spun around, half expecting it to be Mike there to murder her. Her heart was pounding and she choked back a scream when she realized it was Isaac. Of course, according to the rumors he could be there to murder her too, but she went to the window anyway.

"Sorry I scared you," Isaac said as soon as she'd opened it. "Are you alright?"

"I'll get back to you as soon as I know," she replied breathlessly in an attempt at a joke.

His thumb caressed her cheek below the bruise. "Who did this?" he asked softly.

"Isaac, my dad could be home any minute."

Isaac shook his head. "No, he's at my house cataloging evidence. There's a lot of stuff for him to go through, it'll take hours. Now, tell me. Please, Kat."

Kat sighed. She wanted to tell him, but she didn't even know how to say it. She felt so pathetic. What would he think of her for staying with someone who hit her? "Do you want to come in?"

She stepped back to allow Isaac room to climb through the window. He moved gracefully and quickly. As soon as he was through, his arms were around her. "Just tell me who did it," he whispered into her hair.

"My boyfriend," she squeaked.

For a moment, he just held her. She hadn't even realized she was crying until she noticed the dampness forming on his T-shirt. He seemed almost reluctant as he released her from his embrace in order to look her in the eye. "He's not going to do this again," Isaac declared.

"I just…I don't know."

"Kat, you don't deserve this," he said.

She nodded. "I guess I should break up with him."

Isaac didn't say anything one way or the other. She wondered what the best way to do it would be. There was no way she would be able to do it in person. As much as she didn't like it, a text message seemed like her best option. She knew if she called him, he would find some way to manipulate her out of it.

Kat reached for her phone and sighed as she found Mike's number in her contacts. She stared at the flashing icon on her screen, waiting for her to type her message. Isaac gave her space and she appreciated that. She figured she needed to be as short and direct as possible. _We're done_, she typed. _I can't take this anymore. It's over._ She read the message a few times over and then looked up at Isaac. "Promise you'll stay with me?"

"I'll stay as long as I can," he quickly affirmed.

She pressed 'send'. It didn't take longer than a minute for her phone to start buzzing wildly. Mike was alternating between texting and calling. She turned her phone off and dropped it in her desk drawer.

"Are you okay?" Isaac asked.

"Yeah, I think," Kat said. "I just need to keep my mind off of things…Isaac, what is going on with you?"

"My dad died," he said, his voice shaking a bit.

"I heard about that," Kat replied. She didn't want to bring up the rumors or that everyone in town believed them. She was sure he knew that.

"He used to beat me and lock me up in a freezer in the basement," Isaac confessed. "But I still love him and…I miss him."

"Isaac, I know you didn't do it," she said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Do you need anything?" Kat said.

"A shower would be nice." His stomach rumbled loudly. "And maybe some food, but I don't want to be a burden. Plus, your mom could wake up."

Kat shook her head. "She passed out on pills hours ago. She's not going to notice anything until tomorrow afternoon at least. You can shower, I'll grab you some food and see if I can find any of my brother's old clothes."

Kat rushed away, thankful to have Isaac there with her. She honestly didn't know if she would have been able to break up with Mike if it weren't for him. Of course, she would be lying if she said it wasn't also because she had a little crush on him, but a new relationship was the last thing she needed to worry about. For the moment, she was just glad to have a friend.

::::::::::::

Isaac had managed to keep his cool when Kat was around, but as soon as she left the wolf fought its way out. His eyes flashed and he growled, imagining himself maiming Kat's now ex-boyfriend. If the bastard ever laid a hand on her again, Isaac would end him.

It took a moment, but he finally managed to calm himself down. It was the past now and while he still wanted to make the asshole pay, all that mattered was that he was there for Kat. He went into the bathroom, feeling a bit strange being in there. It had been so long since his mother had passed away, he'd forgotten about how different women could be. The scattered, half-used bottles of products on the counter were fascinating in a way, but he felt like he was invading her privacy, so he showered quickly and really tried not to think about the fact that she'd been naked in there.

"Clothes are by the door," Kat called from her bedroom. "I'll be downstairs."

Isaac waited until he heard her feet on the stairs before opening the door and grabbing the pile. Everything looked like it would fit and it felt pretty great to put on something clean. It wasn't what he would have picked for himself, but maybe it was time for a change. Isaac wasn't the same person anymore.

The smell of grilled cheese caught his attention and he all but salivated when Kat handed him the plate. He swallowed it down quickly and didn't feel embarrassed until he noticed her watching with an amused look on her face. Mortified, he turned around and set the plate on the desk.

She smiled reassuringly, but her expression quickly went to sadness. "Do you have a place to sleep?" she asked.

"I do," Isaac said. If you could call the hard floor of a rusted out, abandoned subway car a place to sleep, then definitely.

"How did you escape?" Kat asked.

"I guess the door wasn't locked properly," he lied. Well, it was only a half lie. The door was locked properly for a human, but not a werewolf.

"We could talk to my dad," she said. "I know he doesn't really believe that it was you. All they really have to go on is that a witness said you were arguing that night. We could try to prove you didn't do it."

He liked having someone that believed in him. He'd never had to deny being a murderer; she just had that faith in him. Isaac wanted to hug her, but he knew that he wouldn't want to stop there and he didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of the fact that she'd just broken up with her abusive boyfriend.

"Thanks so much for everything," he said.

She sighed. "You have to go, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Fugitive, remember?"

"Just give me a few minutes to grab you some things to take with you."

Isaac agreed and she returned with a duffel bag. The zipper was straining to contain all the things she'd packed for him and it made it harder for him to leave. He wasn't used to having someone care so much. "Thanks again," he said.

"Be careful out there, Isaac," she said, handing him a folded up leather jacket. "I know they'll find a way to clear your name."

He dropped the jacket and duffel bag for a moment and bent down so that his forehead pressed against hers. "You be careful too. Don't let your ex get you alone. Make sure that people know what he did to you. Stay safe." He kissed the top of her head, breathing in deeply, trying to absorb as much of her scent as he could.

"Will you come by again?" she asked. "You know…so I can know you're alright."

"If I can," he said. "Take care of yourself." He wrapped his arms around her one last time and then reluctantly pulled away. "Goodbye, Kat."

:::::::::::

Isaac wanted to run back to Kat the moment he finished unpacking the duffel bag she'd given him. Thanks to her, his abandoned subway car was almost looking like a home. Well, that was a bit of a stretch, but he now had a pillow and blanket, as well as fresh, clean clothes.

Derek jerked the door of the subway car open. He glanced at Isaac's new possessions, but didn't comment on them. "Come on," he ordered.

Isaac put on the jacket that Kat had given him and followed after Derek. A gorgeous blonde teen was waiting for them and it took Isaac a while to recognize her as Erica Reyes. He'd never really spoken to her that much at school, but he could tell that she was completely different just by the way she stood.

Derek led the way and his pack followed. Isaac wondered where they were going, but knew that Derek probably wouldn't answer if he asked. He was confused when they ended up at the skating rink. He was glad that he'd put on the jacket because it was freezing cold. The place was empty aside from the lone Zamboni driver.

Derek stepped onto the ice and Erica followed him diligently. Isaac trailed behind a bit, worried that it was some sort of pack murder, blood-in-blood-out affair. He was relieved when Derek started talking and it turned out he was just recruiting a new member to the pack. Once again, it was someone he recognized from school. Boyd was always quiet and alone. No one really talked to him and he didn't talk to anyone either.

Isaac had to admit that Derek was very convincing and it was no surprise that Boyd agreed to be part of the pack. What was a surprise was Scott McCall busting in after Boyd had been bitten. Boyd was up on the Zamboni again, intending to finish his shift. Isaac stood beside Erica and watched as Scott tried to convince Boyd that Derek's way was bad news.

There was a brief back and forth and then they were fighting. Isaac really had no idea what to do. He'd never really fought anyone before and this was different than during the full moon. Scott was much faster than he and Erica were and they were both taken down quickly. Isaac groaned quietly as his wounds started to heal.

He looked up and saw that Derek had intervened in the situation. Isaac couldn't help but be impressed by it and he hoped that soon Derek would teach him how to fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Please be kind and leave a review.**

For the first time in her life, Kat skipped school. She pretended to have overslept that morning to avoid her dad and then quickly left, not wanting to risk her mom waking up and finding her still at home. Kat needed somewhere to hide out and the only place she could think of was her brother's auto shop. Anywhere else, she ran the risk of getting caught but there she could just hang out in the garage.

Brian was rightfully suspicious when his younger sister showed up out of the blue. There was a six year age difference between them, so they'd never been particularly close. It wasn't like her to just show up, but when he saw the bruising and swelling on her face, he let her in.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I was dating this guy…" Kat shrugged. "He kind of turned out to be a dick."

"Do Mom and Dad know?"

"I haven't told them yet. I'm going to. I just kind of need to hide out for a while to sort things out first."

"Alright," Brian said. He awkwardly pointed toward the vending machines. "There's that if you need anything, but I don't have any cash. Otherwise there's water and coffee."

Kat poured herself a cup of coffee. She didn't particularly want it, but she knew that Brian must be completely freaked out. They hadn't seen each other since Christmas. They never talked and now she was here asking to spend the day with him.

Once she had her coffee, Kat followed Brian to the back of the garage. He got to work on a Jeep and she perched herself on top of a few stacked tires. For a while there was just the sound of the radio and Brian working. Kat had brought along a few textbooks, but she really didn't feel like studying.

"You can change the radio if you want," Brian said.

"No, Nirvana is fine with me," Kat replied.

Brian smiled to himself. "Hey, you're alright…for a dorky little sister."

Kat let out a laugh and reached for her backpack, just to have something to do. A few hours passed and only one customer came in. Kat started to wonder how well Brian's shop was actually doing. He'd claimed everything was fine at Christmas, but it didn't seem like very many people came in. Kat didn't say anything about it though.

The truth was, Kat didn't really know how to talk to Brian. All through her childhood, Brian had acted like she was a major annoyance and then when she was twelve he moved out and only showed up for the obligatory holidays. She figured she should try to make conversation though or else it was going to be a long day.

The radio station stopped the music and the pre-recorded morning news played. Kat's heart dropped when the announcer reminded everyone to be on the look-out for Isaac Lahey, escaped murder suspect.

"Did you hear about Mr. Lahey?" Kat asked.

"Yeah, it sucks," Brian said. That seemed to be all he wanted to say on the matter.

Kat prodded a bit more, "They're saying his son did it."

Brian shrugged, but didn't say anything.

Kat knew that the conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, so she went back to reading from her economics textbook. She didn't know why it still hurt so much that Brian never seemed to want to talk. He was just too much like their mother.

She sat in mostly silence for the rest of the day. Brian only talked to her to ask if she wanted to have pizza delivered. Once the sun started to go down, Kat figured it was time to go home and tell her father everything that had happened.

"I guess I'm heading out now," she said.

"OK," Brian replied.

Kat lingered, waiting for him to add something, but he just continued working. "Love you," she said tentatively.

"Yeah, you too," he said.

:::::::::::::

Isaac was slightly out of breath, but he knew there was no time to rest. He clenched his fists and ran at full speed. He jumped to the top of a pile of crates, doing a flip as he jumped down. As soon as he landed, he continued running. Suddenly, Derek's arm reached out and he was thrown back a few feet. He landed with a crunch that he was pretty sure was his rib breaking.

"Again," Derek ordered.

Isaac pressed against his side as he walked back to his starting point. The bone definitely felt broken, but it seemed like it would heal just fine. He repeated the process again; feeling like he'd done better this time but Derek still easily threw him down. His head bounced against the concrete floor and he was pretty sure he was now the proud owner of a concussion.

"Again," Derek shouted.

Isaac was slow getting up and he was in agony as he walked back to the starting point for what felt like the hundredth time. His run over the obstacles was perfectly executed, but Derek still managed to throw him. This time, Erica leapt from the rafters and pulled Derek into a kiss meant to distract him. Of course, it failed and Erica landed in a heap on the floor.

Derek angrily faced his new pack, lecturing them about hunters and monsters. Isaac knew it was all true and important, but he was in too much pain to really care. "I've got about a hundred bones that need to heal," he muttered. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it.

Derek approached him, holding out a hand in what seemed like a kind gesture. Isaac couldn't tell though, because Derek's face was still hard and angry. He wanted to trust Derek though, so he lifted his arm toward Derek.

The broken bone didn't really hurt as much as the fact that after everything, after surviving with his father for all those years, Isaac still felt powerless.

:::::::::::::

Kat took the long way home. Driving always seemed to calm her nerves. She drove a light blue Mustang that wasn't new enough to be cool and not old enough to be vintage, but it was hers and she loved it. Rehearsing what she was going to say, she took the last right turn down Elmwood. She forgot everything when she saw the blue and red flashing lights in the distance.

Her heart was racing as she grew closer. It really looked like the lights were in front of her house. They were definitely in front of her house. Kat wondered if this was the day she'd always feared, ever since the time when she was thirteen and she really understood that her mother had problems she couldn't help.

She parked sloppily by the curb and jumped out of her car, bracing herself for bad news as she approached the group of people standing in the yard. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold as the two deputies turned to look at her with sad expressions.

Her father put his arm around her. "Kat…its Brian. There's been an accident."

::::::::::::::

A few hours later the only thing that was still wounded was Isaac's pride. Boyd and Erica still wouldn't look at him, not since Derek had broken his arm as an example to them all. Things had been tense ever since and now that Derek had told them all to gather once again, they were all on edge.

"There's been another attack," Derek said, pausing to look at them before continuing. "The thing that killed Isaac's father killed some mechanic. This time someone actually saw it."

The trio stayed silent, except Isaac who couldn't stop the involuntary shudder when he recalled being paralyzed in the alley, listening to his father's murder.

"Who was it?" Boyd finally asked.

"Stiles," Derek answered. "Apparently he was getting his Jeep repaired and saw everything. We'll need to know exactly what he saw so we can know what we're dealing with."

"There's a lacrosse game tonight," Erica offered, her eagerness to be helpful obvious.

Derek nodded. "Boyd and Erica, you'll come with me. Isaac, stay here. You can't risk being seen."

Isaac felt utterly useless as the rest of the pack left. He really did want to help. Whatever this monster was, it had taken his father from him. Deep down, Isaac knew that he'd lost his father a long time ago in a way, but he'd always believed that somehow the dad he remembered would come back.

Isaac started to feel lonely and restless. He pulled on his leather jacket and turned up the collar as he walked outside the subway station. Every new instinct he had screamed at him for disobeying his Alpha, resulting in the biggest headache he'd ever had. It hurt, but even that was better than being alone with his thoughts for much longer.

He'd really wanted to give Kat her space. He knew that she'd had a long and trying day and as much as he wanted to know how telling people what her boyfriend had done had gone, he figured it would be best to wait a day or two to give her time to sort things out. It was selfish, but he really wanted to see her.

:::::::::::::

Kat wondered if she should be crying. Of course she had shed some tears when she heard the initial news, but right now she just felt numb. It was like she couldn't cry. She was in sweatpants and an old, worn-out hoodie, but she still felt cold. She'd felt cold ever since she'd heard what happened.

There had been some sort of mechanical malfunction, the details were fuzzy. The result was that her brother was dead. They told her that he hadn't suffered, but she didn't believe that. She knew that was just something people said. It was supposed to make her feel better. It didn't though.

Maybe if she had just stayed a bit longer, she would have been there when things went wrong. Maybe Brian would still be alive. That wasn't really fair though. The sheriff's son had been there and according to him it had happened so fast that there was nothing anyone could have done.

The thing that hurt the most was that Kat really didn't have any good memories with Brian. Now was the time she was supposed to look back on their happy times and mourn her loss, but also feel some sort of comfort in remembering. There was no comfort though. There were no happy memories.

:::::::::::::

The closer Isaac got to her house, the more things felt off. Isaac hoped that nothing had happened to Kat. He scaled the tree near her window and looked through. She was curled up on her bed and she looked so broken. Isaac quickly moved closer and tapped on her window. He got the urge to just break through the glass to get to her faster, but he waited impatiently as she opened the window.

Her eyes were sad, muddy brown and it was obvious she'd been crying. Her hair was in a messy bun, little pieces falling in her face. Isaac reached forward to smooth them back. "What happened?" he asked.

"My brother died," she whispered. "There was an accident at his garage."

Isaac's mouth went dry and he was being so obvious that he was sure it was only because she was so upset that Kat didn't get suspicious. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

"Please. My parents had to go to make arrangements. They should be back soon but I…I'm just really glad you're here."

Isaac put his arm around him and led her to the edge of her bed. They sat down together and he pulled her closer against his chest. He stroked her hair as she started to calm down.

"You probably think I'm a mess," Kat said with a humorless laugh. "I promise I'm not always falling apart."

"I don't think that," Isaac said. "I think you're just having a hard time right now."

Kat held on to Isaac a little tighter. "I'm just so happy you're here," she said.

"I am too."

They didn't talk for hours. They just sat together in silence. He smoothed her hair back when it fell into her eyes. He could have stayed like that all night. At some point they reclined on the bed, still just pressed close together. Her legs tangled with his and his arms were around her. He felt warm and her smell was all over him, that light citrus smell and something a little floral that was distinctly Kat. Isaac wished he could stay there, but the sound of a car door closing brought him to reality. He glanced down to see that Kat was asleep in his arms and that made leaving even harder.

::::::::::::::

When the pack met together again, Erica looked at Isaac like she knew he had a secret. Luckily, she didn't have enough time to question him.

"Kanima," Derek said, catching their attention. "It's a reptilian creature with razor sharp claws. It releases a paralytic toxin so do not let it get close to you."

"How do we kill it then?" Boyd asked.

"We probably won't be able to, not unless we can catch it in its human form," Derek said. "The Kanima should have been a werewolf, so thankfully that brings our possible suspects down to two, Jackson Whittemore and Lydia Martin. Now figuring out which one is the tricky part, but I have a theory." Derek carefully held up a piece of glass coated on one end by a thick layer of clear goo.

"Erica, you'll need to bring Jackson to me. We'll test him first."

:::::::::::::

Isaac helped Erica drag a protesting Jackson closer to Derek. They collectively held their breath as they waited for the results of their experiment and discovered that the toxin worked on Jackson.

The others lost interest right away, but Isaac lingered behind.

"I need you to do me a favor," Isaac said.

Jackson's lips curled in a snarl, but Isaac cut him off by letting his claws extend.

"You're going to tell the police that you were mistaken," Isaac instructed. "You're going to tell them I wasn't home the night my father died. We never argued. Got it?"

::::::::::::::: **TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS SECTION**

Kat walked down the hall feeling like a mess. She knew she didn't have to go to school, but she had a few midterms that she absolutely couldn't miss. The truth was it was nice to be in a structured environment. Things at home were ripping at the seams. Her mother was in a haze of self-medication through alcohol and pills. Her father was like a statue, there physically but not emotionally. It was better to just be at school. It was better than being at home.

Mike didn't make an appearance until lunch. He grabbed Kat a bit too roughly. People saw and watched with concern, but no one said anything. Mike pulled her into the gym, which was empty due to some bogus new rule that students weren't allowed in there during lunch.

"You're ignoring me," Mike accused.

"We broke up," Kat spat back.

"No. No, I did not say it's over. I didn't agree to that." Mike leered over her threateningly.

As stupid and reckless as it was, she wasn't afraid of him anymore. "We're done here." She turned and started to walk away.

He grabbed her roughly by the wrist and pulled her back. "You're mine."

"Let me go," she demanded calmly, though inside she was screaming.

Mike gripped her wrist tighter. Kat fought against his grip, but he was much stronger than her and he easily wrestled her to the ground. His hand pulled at the waistband of her pants. Kat kicked wildly, managing to collide with his shins several times. The button came undone and Kat finally had the presence of mind to scream at the top of her lungs.

Mike's hand quickly covered her mouth. Kat tried to bite him and continued kicking and punching. Suddenly, Mike was pulled away. Kat sat up and saw that her rescuer wore a leather jacket. His boot was pressed on Mike's windpipe.

"She said no," Isaac said, his voice shaking with rage in a way that Kat never would have expected. He looked nearly murderous. Mike's face was beet red and he was grabbing at Isaac's ankle, trying to get him to move but Isaac just pressed down harder.

The gym door on the other end crashed open and two boys raced in. The sheriff's son and his friend stopped for a moment and then rushed to stop Isaac from accidentally killing Mike. The rest of the student body as well as teachers had started to arrive on the scene.

Isaac turned to Kat, taking off his leather jacket. He wrapped it around her shoulders wordlessly and waited with her while the school staff tried to organize the chaos.

"Are you alright?" Isaac asked, whispering the question.

"He's gonna pay," Kat said.

::::::::::::

Isaac wanted to stay with Kat throughout the whole process, but he was told to go back to class and it didn't seem likely that there was going to be a way around that. He came into chemistry class just shy of late. He could feel Scott and Stiles staring at the back of his head, but he didn't pay attention to them.

He was back on task. All that mattered was finding out who the Kanima was. Isaac knew all too well how much it hurt to lose an older brother. Even though she'd never know, Isaac was going to find the thing that killed her brother and make sure that it was stopped. He had to, for her, for his father, for himself. The Kanima wasn't going to hurt anyone else.

:::::::::::::

Isaac hated hurting his classmates. He didn't particularly want to hurt Scott, Stiles, Allison, or Jackson. It was Lydia he was after. She'd failed the test therefore Derek insisted that she was the Kanima. She was the one who had killed Isaac's father and Kat's brother. They had to stop her.

Isaac tried, but Scott was fast and strong and once again he found himself being overtaken and thrown out. He wondered momentarily if maybe he should be having Scott teach him how to fight. After all, his training session with Derek hadn't really helped. The fight had ended up just the same and the Kanima got away.

Derek and Scott argued briefly but it all screeched to a halt when Lydia appeared from inside the house after everyone had clearly seen the Kanima flee the scene. All Isaac could think about was the fact that they'd almost assassinated someone who was innocent. Well, at least innocent of murder.

The sound of sirens in the distance sent them all running. As they fled, Isaac wondered more and more if Derek was someone he could trust.


	6. Chapter 6

**This is a particularly fluffy chapter, so warm cuddlies for everyone I hope. I wanted to use lyrics, but I'm not clear on the new policy about that so just to avoid issues, the songs that play in the first section (Kat's POV) is When You Were Young by The Killers and the second one is Coming Undone by Korn. Then in the second section (Isaac's POV) is So Far Away and Believe, both by Staind. **

**I'm feeling musical and they are my puppets. Mwahaha. Mmkay, so moving on….**

Kat got out of the shower. Not because she particularly wanted to, but there was no more hot water. Her skin was pink and warm from the heat. She opened the window, glancing to the leather jacket folded at the foot of her bed and hoping that somehow by wishing hard enough she could summon its owner. Of course, it doesn't work.

She plugs her iPod into the speaker, puts it on shuffle, and laughs at the irony of the opening lines of the song that plays. She rolls her eyes. That shit should only happen in the movies. Even though she loves the song, she skips it. The next song is a bit more fitting and it has a good beat that she can move to as she goes on to the next step in her nightly routine.

It feels strange to be doing the same things she always does: putting on pajamas, brushing her hair, and reading. Kat knows that when she goes to sleep, she'll probably have nightmares about what would have happened if Isaac hadn't showed up but for now she feels strangely fine.

Her bedroom door squeaks as it opens. She's a little surprised by that. Her mother's been catatonic for hours. Then she realizes that of course her father wouldn't have to work, not after everything. She shuts off her music before she turns to look at him, really look at him for the first time since she'd found out about her brother's death. Her dad looks older, more vulnerable. His eyes are puffy and red, and his hair looks like it's greyer than before. He just looks tired.

"Look, Kat…" he trails off.

What is she supposed to say or do? Normal families would hug at a time like this, so Kat stands and crosses the room to him. She feels a little strange putting her arms around his neck and for a moment the awkwardness just increases until her dad finally gets that he's supposed so hug her back.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered against her hair.

Kat feels like she's four years old again and she's just fallen off her brother's bike. She wants to break down and cry, but she thinks that might be pushing it. Her father breaks off the hug and reaches into the pocket of his sweatpants.

"It's late and I know you're tired. I just wanted to give you this," he said, pressing the object into her hand. "Good night, sweetheart."

Kat looked down at the pepper spray in her hand with mixed feelings. Strangely, it brought back the helpless feeling from before. If things hadn't gone so wrong, her father never would have given her something like this. But she's glad he did. Maybe this will help her feel stronger. At least she has some way to protect herself. She turns the spray can over in her hands, carefully examining it. She brushes her fingers across the safety and imagines what it would be like to actually use it.

Kat is still staring at the Mace when she sees Isaac appear at her window. She puts the can down on her desks and goes over to help him climb through.

For a moment, neither of them is sure what to say. Isaac gestured to the pepper spray and joked, "Did you not want me to visit?"

Kat smiled and teased him back. "That's just there in case you annoy me."

Isaac hugged her closely and she let herself melt into his embrace. She noticed the way he smelled her hair and grinned at the little quirk, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His eyes were serious and probing.

"Can we just be normal for tonight?" she replied.

Isaac chuckled. "Right, us two. Normal."

"We could give it a try."

Kat ventured down to the kitchen to raid the pantry for some snacks. She returned, with arms full of potato chips, marshmallows, a jar of peanut butter, two spoons, a few cans of sodas. She piled the spoils of her quest on the foot of the bed and they settled down next to each other. Suddenly, she's ravenous and she remembers she hadn't eaten at all that day. She dove into the snacks and they sat and talked. It's normal, as normal as they can get.

They shared stories from their childhood. Only the happy memories at first; Isaac told her about building a model rocket with his dad and his brother, she told Isaac about trips to the beach and how the ocean made her feel so small and so alive. Through laughter, they shared the embarrassing stories; Isaac chuckled through a story of the time his brother had colored him purple and green with markers to look like Barney, Kat giggled her way through the time she'd cut her own hair short like a boy's so she wouldn't have to put up with her mom braiding it. They worked their way into the more poignant parts of childhood; Isaac told her about his horrible luck with hamsters that kept dying, Kat talked about a pet rabbit that 'ran away'.

It was one in the morning when Isaac struggled through the story of the day his mother drove away and never came back. Kat took his hand in hers and talked about how her mother had slowly slipped away from them until she was just a ghost in the house. He told her about the day his brother went off to war and the day they found out he wasn't coming home. She told him about her brother moving out and never looking back, a story they both knew the end to.

It was two in the morning. They were both tired, but they kept going. Isaac shook as he whispered about the first time his dad had hit him, how shocked he'd been, too shocked to fight back when he was forced into an unplugged meat freezer and locked in there for hours. With tears in her eyes, Kat talked about how she'd always felt so ugly and insecure, how Mike had figured that out and manipulated her until she felt so low about herself that she thought she deserved it the first time he hit her.

It was three in the morning and their voices were scratchy from talking. They could barely keep their eyes open. Kat pulled the blanket back and they settled down into the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and Kat closed her eyes. She'd never felt this close to someone before. She fought to stay awake, not wanting this to end. Eventually, she fell asleep.

:::::::::::

Isaac crawled out of the bed as soon as Kat's heart was beating at a solid pace and her breathing was soft and serene. He hated it so much, but he needed to get out. He couldn't risk falling asleep there. It was too risky. Still, he didn't want to leave yet. He looked around her room and saw her iPod, still plugged into the speakers. He knew that sometimes she liked to sleep with her music on, but really he was just curious about what she had on there.

He pressed play, leaving it on shuffle because he hadn't really listened to about three fourths of the bands she had. The song that came on had a softer melody and he lingered next to her bed, watching her sleep as he listened to the lyrics that seemed all too apropos for the night that they'd just had.

When the song ended, he didn't want to leave. The next one that played was by the same band and it was another one that struck a chord with him. When that one ended, he quickly left or else he knew he'd stay the whole night. He grabbed his leather jacket, but he really didn't want to take it with him. Instead, he laid it over Kat's shoulders and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Things were far from okay, but he believed that it would be soon. It was easy to believe it, when he was with Kat and life didn't feel quite as fucked up.

Derek glared at him when Isaac finally made his way back into the run down excuse for a hide-out. "Where have you been all night?" Derek scowled.

"Out," Isaac replied.

"Erica told me there was an incident at the school," Derek said.

Isaac shrugged. "Yeah, it wasn't a big deal."

Derek looked nearly explosive. "Are you stupid? Do you not realize the risk you took today? What if you had shifted?"

Isaac was silent and watched the emotions play out over Derek's face. Normally his Alpha was hard to read, but when he was angry Isaac could read him like a book. Frustration gave way to understanding, then weary, disgruntled acceptance. Isaac went into his subway car and gave in to sleep.

::::::::::::::

The next few days passed in a blob. Kat wasn't at school, but everyone was buzzing with a thousand different versions of what had gone down. Isaac's personal favorite version of the story was that Kat was pregnant with either his or Mike's child and they'd been fighting over paternity because DNA tests were overrated.

Sobering reality hit when the story broke about a young couple that had been murdered. Derek was more and more easily frustrated. Erica seemed nervous, but eager to prove herself. Boyd didn't really say much of anything. The full moon was approaching and Isaac was completely terrified at Derek's solution. He stared at the box of chains, on edge, but there were bigger problems on the horizon.

They'd managed to learn a bit more about the Kanima. Isaac wasn't really surprised that Jackson was the lizard monster. Living across from him for so long, Isaac knew way more than he'd ever wanted to about Jackson. The real problem, though, was finding out who it was that was controlling the Kanima.

Isaac was anxious the day that Kat returned to school. Erica just rolled her eyes, a bit smug over the fact that Derek had given her special instructions to dig up as much information as she could about Jackson. He left her to it in order to chase after Kat during lunch.

"So I hear you're carrying my illegitimate child," Isaac said, hoping she'd find it humorous.

Luckily, she did. "Oh, but that's not possible because I hear you and Mike were having a torrid affair behind my back and you beat him up to stop him from telling me."

They laughed and absconded to the library, where there were plenty of quiet corners. Once they were hidden away, Isaac hugged her close. She was wearing his leather jacket and he loved that it made his scent cling to her just the slightest bit. He was pretty sure she'd definitely noticed him taking in her scent. Kat looked up at him, forced to turn her head upwards because he was half a foot taller than her. Today, her eyes were like milk chocolate.

He ran his fingers over her cheek, where the bruise was almost completely faded. The pad of his thumb found its way to her chin and he tilted her face up toward him just the slightest bit more. He'd never done this before and he's nervous. Isaac pressed their lips together tentatively and his heart leaped when he felt her pressing back.


	7. Chapter 7

**I feel like this chapter took a really long time. Sorry about that. I'm on a new medication and it makes me nauseous at night, which is when I usually do my writing. It's really hard to focus on werewolves when I keep thinking I need to go worship the porcelain god.**

Isaac's heart was pounding fast. Too fast. His hand was tangled in Kat's hair and he felt his claws extending. He was literally saved by the bell. The chime that signaled it was time to go to class was probably the only thing that jolted him out of shifting right in front of her.

"I'll see you later," he said quickly. He had to put some distance between them. How were they supposed to be together if that's how he reacted when they kissed? He'd been doing so well. Yes, his wolf did get a little restless when he had his arms around her, but he was able to focus on other things. He'd just thought he could handle it.

When school ended Isaac went straight to the train station. He was hoping to just unwind and sort things out, but Derek grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out to the Camaro. Isaac knew asking where they were going would probably be pointless, so he just leaned back and enjoyed the ride.

_Sorry,_ he texted to Kat.

A minute later, she responded. _Don't worry._

He stared at the words on the screen for a moment. He didn't know what to do or say. Isaac looked over at Derek but knew right away that his Alpha would probably be zero help in the relationship department.

Isaac's phone buzzed again with a message from Kat. _Come see me later?_

_Yeah_, he responded before he could overthink it. He'd figure something out. After all, they'd been fine the other nights he'd gone to see her. But then, he'd been tired then and there had been other things to distract him. Maybe he just couldn't function when things were relatively calm.

Isaac raised an eyebrow when Derek parked in front of a vet clinic. "Uh…are you getting me fixed or something?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Deaton isn't just a vet. He might be able to help us."

Isaac had plenty of other questions, but Derek was already on the move, heading toward the rear entrance. Isaac hooked his thumbs into his pockets and trailed after the Alpha. He was surprised to see Scott there, but soon a plan started to form in his head. He didn't get the chance to talk to Scott though, because Deaton had started talking while pulling an ancient looking wooden box off of a high shelf.

A few hours later, his head was spinning. He couldn't believe that he'd gone so long never knowing that anything supernatural existed. There was so much more to it than just werewolves and Isaac wondered how many times he'd encountered it without noticing. Deaton was another mystery and Isaac had theories ranging from witch to government agent, but most people only saw a friendly veterinarian.

Isaac rushed after Scott. He was a bit nervous. After all, he and Scott had never really talked before and he didn't imagine that Scott had too high of an opinion of him after the fights they'd gotten into.

"Wait," he said.

Scott turned around and seemed quite surprised. "What's up?"

"I needed to ask you about something…" Isaac wasn't really sure how to phrase it.

"Sure," Scott said warily.

"It's about…girls. Or…a girl in particular."

Scott looked vaguely amused. "Are you asking me to tell you about the birds and the bees?"

Isaac scowled. "No, I know about the birds and the bees. I'm just wondering what to do when the bee is a werewolf."

Scott nodded as understanding dawned on him. "Oh, got it. I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? They'd never formally said so. Was that the sort of thing that just happened or did they have to talk about it? "It's…complicated."

"OK? So what's your question?"

"How do I stop from shifting in front of her?"

Scott thought for a while. "It's just one of those things you have to practice It'll come over time."

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Scott shrugged. "Be patient. Just think of something that can keep you focused so the wolf doesn't take over. Its kind hard because if you really like this girl, then your wolf likes her too so it's gonna want to be close to her. It's weird to get used to that, but once you do you can control it better."

"Is there no quick fix?" Isaac asked.

"Not really. I mean, pain sometimes can distract you but I don't think you'd want pain during those situations."

Isaac smirked and bit back a BDSM joke that he was sure would've gone over Scott's head. "Thanks."

"No problem," Scott said. "And hey, Isaac, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me. I'm not holding a grudge or anything."

Isaac smiled. "Thanks, Scott." He avoided Derek's glare as he jogged away. The sun had set by the time he arrived at Kat's house, easily scaling the tree and dropping down inside her room because she'd left the window open.

She was sitting on her bed; twirling a strand of hair between her fingers and so completely lost in the book she was reading that she hadn't even noticed him. Isaac didn't want to say anything to break her out of the reverie she was in. He stood quietly for a few minutes, just watching as her eyes lit up and her lips moved slightly as she read. Something exciting must have been happening because she let out a small squeak and brought the book closer to her nose. It was just another thing to add to the list of things that were beautiful about her.

Finally, she looked up. When she noticed him she clutched the book to her chest. "How long have you been standing there?"

He shrugged. "Not long."

"Creeper," she accused jokingly, throwing a pillow in his direction.

He dodged the pillow and sat on the bed beside her. He took the book from her hands and set it aside, careful not to lose her place. He positioned himself over her on his hands and knees and started to kiss her, maintaining control of the situation so that the kisses stayed relatively chaste. After a while, he felt more confident. He could do this.

Kat's teeth grazed over his lower lip, tugging a bit and urging him to come closer. Her hands rested on his shoulders and he relented, slotting their hips together and resting on his elbows as her lips parted for him. He felt his control slipping, but he fought to keep the wolf at bay. Her hands moved over his chest, down to his waist. He let his claws extend and dug them into his palms. The pain helped to keep him centered.

Soon, he didn't need the pain anymore. He was able to hold the wolf at bay and lose himself in the moment with her. They parted for air and he looked down at her. Her hair was an auburn halo and she smiled at him. They exchanged a few playful kisses and he rolled to the side, pulling her close to him.

After a while, he worked up the courage to ask, "So what is this? Are we together or…" He let the question hang.

Kat smiled and propped herself up on her elbow. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

Isaac smiled. "I might be."

"Well, if you are, my answer is yes."

::::::::

Isaac went to school the next way still feeling great. He had a smile that just didn't go away. He knew he should have been a little more nervous about what was to come, but he had a weird sense of calm about the whole situation. They had a harebrained scheme for the rave tonight, but he hoped that it would work. He was ready to just be done with the Kanima and the deaths it had caused.

His happy mood started to fade as the time for the rave drew closer. He was relieved that Kat wasn't going to be there. He didn't want her near any of it and that thought sent Isaac down a spiraling road of introspection. For now it was best that she didn't know. Aside from the Kanima, there were also the hunters to think about. He didn't want to put her in danger and she would be a huge target if they thought she knew anything. He wondered if there would come a time that he'd have to tell Kat what he was. Should he tell her? She'd probably think he was crazy.

Isaac had to snap out of it. He and Erica entered the warehouse and the music was so loud it hurt. He looked around until he saw Scott. The other teen discreetly handed him the syringe of ketamine and explained how it worked, ending with, "Be careful."

Isaac scoffed. "I seriously doubt this will hurt him."

"No, I meant you," Scott replied. "I don't want you to get hurt."

It still struck Isaac as odd that anyone could really care about him. Especially Scott, considering the things Isaac had done. After everything was finished with Jackson, Isaac wondered if maybe he could talk to Scott about his situation with Kat. It was nice to be able to trust people.

:::::::::::

Isaac flexed his wrist and hand. It really had been a dumb move putting it close enough for Jackson to grab, but it wasn't the worst thing that had happened. Scott had come close to dying that night. It made it all more real. The hunters really were ruthless. After that, Isaac felt like it would have been stupid to try to talk to Scott about Kat.

For the first time, Isaac started to regret getting the bite. It was a stupid thought and he pushed it aside right away. The bite was a gift. If not for Derek, Isaac would probably still be living in fear of his father and he wouldn't be with Kat. Still, being a werewolf was complicating everything. He hadn't really thought about living his entire life as a werewolf.

He spent the rest of the night texting Kat. They weren't talking about anything of substance, just exchanging stupid jokes and it did nothing to get Isaac's mind off of things, but at least it made him feel like it was all worth it. He'd figure it out someday.


	8. Chapter 8

Isaac had been trying not to think about the full moon and what it would do to him, but he couldn't stay in his denial much longer. When he woke up that morning, Derek's wooden chest of torture devices was out in the middle of the platform. Fear made his entire being turn cold. He really didn't think he would be able to handle it.

As the day progressed, he clung to every good feeling he could soak up. Kat held his hand during lunch and they listened to her iPod. She about had a heart attack when he couldn't name that tune when The Beatles came on, but thanks to her he spent the rest of the day humming Hey Jude. After school he got in the passenger seat of her Mustang and they drove with no real destination in mind.

The windows were down and her hair whipped in the wind. She pushed faster and faster, ignoring the speed limit. They were on a road that winded through the countryside and there were no other cars in sight. With each curve, Isaac held his breath and his heart fluttered wildly in time with Kat's. It felt like they were the only two people in the world and he never wanted to leave that moment.

There was a break in the trees and Isaac saw a pond that was almost as blue as the ocean. Kat pulled over to the side of the road. She turned and her smile beckoned him. He followed her, climbing over the fence. They chased each other through the field until they were at the edge of the water.

"It's really pretty out here," Kat said.

"I didn't even know there was a place like this so close," he said.

Kat smiled and turned her face up toward the sun. "We should swim!" she declared.

Isaac thought she was joking, but she definitely got his attention when she started stripping down. Her shirt was the first to go and then she bent down to untie her shoes. Soon she was shimmying out of her jeans and wearing nothing but white cotton underwear and a pale pink bra.

"Come on!" she said, pulling his hand. "I'll look stupid if it's just me."

Isaac just stared at her. "Oh, stupid is the last word I'd use right now."

She waded out in the water until it was lapping at her knees and Isaac tripped several times in his race to strip down and join her. He didn't give much thought to the scars that hadn't faded yet, he trusted her. She laughed and splashed at him as he waded out to join her. The mud beneath him was soft and tried to swallow his toes with every step. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She laughed and splashed him.

They stayed in the water until their fingers and toes started to wrinkle. Dripping and smiling, they carried their clothes back to her car, grabbed her iPod, and listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers while they sat on the hood, drying in the sun.

"I'm glad we did this," Kat said.

"Me too," Isaac replied.

:::::::::::

Isaac was back at the subway station about an hour before the sun set, but his mind was still on the hood of the Mustang with Kat's arms around him and he was kissing her and pressing their bodies together. The dreamy smile faded from his face when Derek started pulling things out of the treasure chest of torture. His anxiety shot through the roof when he and Boyd had to help restrain Erica. Her screams echoed through his ears and while he knew it was necessary, he felt guilty.

Boyd was next and he stood stoically, not fighting against the restraints at all. Derek stepped away and turned to Isaac.

"Please?" Isaac's voice was hoarse with fear.

Derek raised an eyebrow and while the guilt was clear on his face, Isaac knew this was happening whether he wanted it or not. He resigned himself to his fate and tried not to picture metal walls closing in on him while Derek secured his chains.

"How do you do it?" Isaac asked frantically. "How do you keep yourself under control?"

"I have an anchor," Derek said. "I focus on anger and it keeps me grounded."

"Is it the same for everyone?"

"No, sometimes it's different."

"Like Scott?"

Derek sighed and nodded. "Scott's is something different."

Isaac wondered what his would be. The full moon was rising and Isaac started to focus on all the good things he could think of.

:::::::::::

Kat was dancing around her room to her music on the last normal night she'd ever have. She was searching for the perfect song, one that fit her afternoon with Isaac. Her dad was back at work and her mom was in a medication induced haze so it was just her and the lyrics to love songs. After everything she'd been through with Mike and then losing her brother, she was finally starting to think that life could be good again.

She was wrong.

:::::::::

Isaac could feel Derek's panic. Erica and Boyd had broken through their restraints and they were decidedly not happy. Isaac pulled against his chains and found that they came away easily. His wolf growled with delight and part of him wanted to join Erica and Boyd in causing mayhem. But there was something in the back of his mind, something that smelled like lemons and felt like happiness.

That something stopped him from joining them. His control was tenuous, but it was there. He helped his Alpha get the other two betas under control. It was no easy task. Erica was nothing but flying claws and teeth and Boyd was freakishly strong, but eventually they were chained once again.

"Thanks," Derek said, somewhat sheepish but grateful.

Isaac looked back to the chains that had held him previously. He didn't want to go back to that feeling, but he felt one step away from losing the control he'd just recently gained. He gestured to them

:::::::::::

People would be talking about that night for years to come. It was probably the darkest day the town of Beacon Hills had ever seen. They'd never be able to fathom what had caused a high school student to go on a murder spree that ended violently in the town's own police department.

The families arrived that morning. Some were still in their pajamas. They all looked shell shocked, like they were moving in a dream, like this couldn't possibly be real but it was.

Kat was among them, dragging her mother along behind her like an anchor. She was shaking and there was an ache deep in her chest. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Things were supposed to be getting better.

Suddenly, she broke away from her mother. She pushed her way past the police from the neighboring town that had come to help sort things out. She fought off their hands that sought to restrain her. Kat wasn't even sure what she was after. Some wild thought had taken her over. It just wasn't real, it couldn't be. She was going to see for herself that it was all some cruel joke.

She dropped to her knees inside the police station. There was so much blood, like a wild animal had been unleashed inside. Finally the faceless hands grasped her and pulled her away. She let them this time, not fighting as they led her to an ambulance. They told her she was in shock and she believed them because she couldn't make herself respond to them.


End file.
